Aquapetra calendar

The Sannio is blessed with a magnificent year round climate, crystal azure skies, pure air and endless sunshine.

Spring arrives by the first days of March, bursting with the scents of our diverse flora, the afternoons enduring and evenings becoming ever warmer, the glorious sun infused haze of early morning steadily lifting. These are perfect days for long walks up into the surrounding hills or through the ancient towns of the Sannio, for setting aside time for relaxation, massages and pampering, for long lazy lunches and exquisite suppers.

Come the first days of April, the urge to slip into our outdoor pool becomes irresistible. By now the temperature has risen and to all guests coming from northern climes, the weather seems more akin to a lovely summer's day. For the more intrepid, we recommend guided expeditions through the nearby gorges of Cusano Mutri, with its numerous vertiginous zip line descents. There are 70 cantine within 30 km of Aquapetra and what better time than this to enjoy their delights, to pick up a few cases or have them sent home, a welcome gift upon one's return, a memory rekindled by the familiar aromas. A marvellous supper awaits you back at Aquapetra.

From May to October, the weather at Aquapetra is simply glorious. The office a distant memory, spend long indulgent days basking in the sunshine, a cocktail or two by the pool to the calming sounds of cicadas' wings and the steady flow of water. Take a break from the sun with a full body scrub or massage and emerge feeling amazing. The anticipation of the freshest seafood, impeccably prepared, is overwhelming. An aperitif before supper. Like everything here, it is delicious. Retire sated, rested and invigorated. Tomorrow, another glorious day awaits.

The summer ends with the wine harvest and the mushroom, truffle and hunting seasons. For the avid foragers, most prized are the local white and black truffles, the Porcini and Caeser mushrooms. Wild boar, deer and hare for the hunters. All gifts of nature that our chefs prepare for our guests. By the end of October and first week of November, Aquapetra's olive groves give up their long maturing fruit. It is only in November that the evenings become a little crisp. The grand fireplaces in our lobby and restaurant crackle into life. In the surrounding towns, celebrations mark the passage of autumn, the natural cycle passing into the next phase. Our Spa, sauna, steam room and heated pools are the perfect way to shake off the chill, or unwind and relax after a reinvigorating jog through the forests. Slow cooked meats and hearty wines await you in the restaurant. Soft jazz, free flowing conversation, cocktails before supper. Another wonderful day for which we give thanks.

Mid November and we begin to dress Aquapetra for the winter festivities. Smiling faces everywhere, truly we have been blessed with the people who have found us and decided to stay. It is difficult to feel a greater hand has not contributed in some way.

All is calm and quiet, but somewhere near there is feasting and laughter. A momentary thought and we soon find ourselves strolling through the narrow paved streets of improbably pretty towns, churches and museums, ten, twenty unrushed minutes by car on quiet roads, the surrounding forest an explosion of red, orange and yellow hues that contrast with the persistently shimmering silvers and greens of our olive groves. The olive is a hardy shrub that holds out against the cold, utterly magical to behold in its natural environment.

Winter in the Sannio. A dusting of snow but crystal clear skies and warming sun. A year has passed, another glorious year awaits. We look forward to you joining us, to sharing tales and smiling at our collective fortune of finding ourselves in this secluded, most special of places.